The March/April issue of the Baptist Bulletin has been released and it features an article by Stephen R. Button entitled Saint Patrick the ‘Baptist’?
Button writes,
“The man we know today as St. Patrick was kidnapped twice: first by Irish pirates, then after his death, by the Roman Catholic Church. The first was the impetus for Patrick’s entrance into ministry. The second exaggerates Patrick’s relationship to the church in Rome and its influence in the missionary efforts of the fifth and sixth centuries. Patrick’s own writing and the historical record show that Patrick often sounded more like an evangelical (or even a Baptist?) than a Roman Catholic.”
In other words, while Catholics may lay claim to him, a careful examination of his writings will show that his beliefs and practices align more closely with Baptist doctrine. In his article, Button points out the absence of references to Rome in Patrick’s writings. He also notes that many early Roman Catholic historians completely ignored Patrick.
When you think of St. Patrick and the annual tradition of wearing green, think of a great missionary to Ireland. Think of a man with a burden for lost souls. Think of a man who would want us to be burdened more for the lost than for the color of our clothing.
What will you be burdened for this St. Patrick’s day?
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